Before the holidays I was invited to participate in several blog hops.
The best part of hops is meeting new bloggers and lots of eye candy and inspiration.

(Ahh, yes it’s a glamorous life.)

A pair of those bloggers, across a vast ocean from each other, were celebrating a milepost in each of their blogs.
Gina, Vintage Junk in my Trunk in the eastern section of the U.S.
and Tamarah of Shabby Vintage Junk in Australia both began blogging early in 2010.
Isn’t it amazing how blogging brings us together!

I am super excited and pleased to give a huge THANK YOU to Tamarah for my prize and surprise.

Still, there are some things we have not yet learned how to do through the computer lines.

And it was really exciting to receive a package from a land I have dreamed of visiting.

Although it was torture to open so slowly,

I wanted to share the experience (the joy) of opening it with you. Isn’t she sweet?

Care was taken down to the last detail.

Isn’t this wonderful and exciting?

I feel like she really did make this just for me!

OK- so my photos don’t show it well, (click to enlarge)
but one of the elements is a 1969 dogtag from Albany New York.

I love all the elements – dog tag, bells, feather charm and more.
Tamarah told me she got some fun elements when she came to Texas for Round Top.
The video above is one of several on her YouTube Channel.
She also is mum to two wonderful furkids.

Thank you Tamarah for this great surprise and the opportunity to get to know you better.

From a time when it was OK to have your elves portrayed by persons under 4 foot tall.
Worth viewing for the backgrounds, accessories, etc.
Did anyone’s brothers ever dress like Eddie Munster?
Check out the size of those Christmas stockings!Happy Holidays to all my blogland friends!